Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Profile

The Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

•      the mind

•      autonomic nervous system

•      immune system

•      digestive system

•      circulatory system

•      elimination system

•      musculo-skeletal system.

On this profile a good score is a low score.

The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20. Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems. People with low levels of fitness and high levels of stress usually score well over 80.

For people with a score of more than 80, the ‘background noise’ of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional. We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 50. This was not the case with this group.

By and large, higher scores are usually a reflection of

• low levels of fitness

• an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.

Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress. 

Classification of average scores: Excellent - less than 40. Good - 41 - 50. Reasonable 51-60. Poor - over 60.

Compared with other groups, this profile is a poor result . The average score was 77 Anyone scoring more than 80 is putting up with a lot of 'background noise'.

Approximately half the participants scored more than 80. This is a cause for concern.

60% of people admitted that were not in good metabolic health - due to a lack of aerobic fitness. The organisation is in the position to have staff attend regular fitness classes.

There is an epidemic of musculo-skeletal dysfunction within the organisation. The organisation's workers compensation arrangements are in grave danger from people submitting claims for 'work-related injuries' - which have, as their principal cause, personally-generated musculo-skeletal dysfunction.

It is highly recommended that all staff participate in a regular 10 minute strength and flexibility session.

Even better still it would be good if the local fitness centre could hold regular 'Back-in-Alignment' musculo-skeletal classes, with staff in poor condition being obliged to attend. (After all, the organisation is paying their workers compensation premiums!)

Too many people (51%) reported being over weight. Many were carrying more than 30 kilograms of excess adipose tissue.

33% smoked. The community average is now around 10%. Not only is the habit unhealthy but it knocks a huge dent in the family housekeeping budget.

There is a relatively high incidence of anxiety and depression - caused by the stress of life, coupled with poor metabolic health - generated by low levels of aerobic fitness. One of the benefits of a regular and systematic aerobic fitness training program is ,'you feel better'.

An interesting observation is that, whereas 16% of people said they were in the wrong job, 23% said they were under-appreciated at work. There is work there for managers to lower the level of dissatisfaction.

All in all, these Health Climate Survey results are a call for the organisation to do all within it's power to support a program designed to assist staff to become fitter and healthier.